JP2010111161A - Control device - Google Patents

Abstract

A control device for operating an in-vehicle device regardless of the type of signal to be received is provided.
In a control device (operation device) that controls an in-vehicle device such as an air conditioner and an audio, an infrared signal received from a mobile phone 10 is associated with the operation content or setting content of the in-vehicle device such as an air conditioner and an audio. When an infrared signal is received from the mobile phone 10, the waveform is analyzed, and it is determined whether the received infrared signal matches the infrared signal associated with the operation content or setting content of the in-vehicle device. If they match, the in-vehicle device is controlled based on the operation content or the setting content associated with the received infrared signal.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device that receives an operation from a user and controls an in-vehicle device.

Many on-vehicle devices are mounted on recent vehicles. The operation panels of these in-vehicle devices are generally provided in the vicinity of a driver's seat such as a dashboard, for example. However, in some in-vehicle devices, a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller) can be operated from the rear seat. ). For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a communication system in which a vehicle inner view mirror is provided with a receiving unit that receives infrared rays from a remote controller. Since operation by a remote control is enabled as in Patent Document 1, it is possible to perform operation from a place away from the in-vehicle device, suppress an increase in operation switches of the in-vehicle device, and further improve the operability of the in-vehicle device. Can be improved.
JP 2001-277852 A

  However, since the signal output from the remote controller and the operation content of the in-vehicle device are generally associated in advance, when the number of in-vehicle devices that can be operated by the remote controller increases, the number of remote controllers increases accordingly. In such a case, although it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of operation switches by using a remote controller, it is necessary to provide a space for storing the remote controller in the vehicle, and there is a possibility that the advantage of using the remote controller may be lost.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control device that operates on-vehicle equipment regardless of the type of signal to be received.

  The control device according to the present invention includes: a receiving unit that receives a signal; a relevance providing unit that associates information related to the in-vehicle device with a signal received by the receiving unit; Based on the information associated with the signal when it is determined that the received signal matches the signal associated with the information by the relevance providing unit, and the determination unit determines that the received signal matches Output means for outputting a control signal to the in-vehicle device.

  In the present invention, when information relating to an in-vehicle device is associated with a received signal and a signal associated with the information is received, a control signal based on the information is output to the in-vehicle device. The information on the in-vehicle device is, for example, the operation content of the in-vehicle device, the set temperature of the air conditioner, the frequency of the radio, or the like. Accordingly, by associating a signal with information related to the in-vehicle device regardless of whether the signal is received from any device, the in-vehicle device can be operated wirelessly as long as the device can transmit the signal. For example, if it is a mobile phone capable of infrared communication, it is possible to operate the in-vehicle device, and even if the number of in-vehicle devices increases, it can be operated with the same mobile phone.

  The control device according to the present invention is configured such that the in-vehicle device operates based on a set value, and further includes an acquisition unit that acquires the set value from the in-vehicle device, and the relevance providing unit includes the acquisition unit The setting value acquired by the means is associated with the signal received by the receiving means, and the determination means determines whether the signal received by the receiving means matches the signal associated with the setting value by the association providing means. The output means is configured to output a control signal including the set value to the in-vehicle device when it is determined that the determination means match.

  In this invention, a setting value is acquired from the vehicle equipment which operate | moves based on a setting value, and the acquired setting value is linked | related with the received signal. And when the signal linked | related with the setting value is received, the control signal containing a setting value is output to vehicle equipment. As a result, even if the setting value is reset or changed in the in-vehicle device, the previous setting value is output to the in-vehicle device by receiving the signal, and the operation is performed again based on the previous setting value. Can do. For example, when the in-vehicle device is an air conditioner, the set temperature of the air conditioner is associated with a signal, and the air conditioner can be set to the same temperature again by receiving the signal.

  When setting values of a plurality of in-vehicle devices are associated with one signal, the setting values can be set for the plurality of in-vehicle devices at a time. For example, the set temperature of the air conditioner and the frequency of the radio can be set at a time, and the user can save time and effort for setting each vehicle-mounted device.

  In the control device according to the present invention, the operation of the in-vehicle device is restricted in accordance with a traveling state, a traveling state acquisition unit that acquires a traveling state, and a traveling state that the traveling state acquisition unit acquires. And a prohibiting unit for prohibiting the output of the control signal by the output unit.

  In the present invention, when the operation of the in-vehicle device is restricted according to the traveling state, the output of the control signal to the in-vehicle device is prohibited based on the traveling state. Thereby, the safety | security at the time of driving | running | working is securable.

  The control device according to the present invention is characterized in that the receiving means receives a signal transmitted from a mobile phone.

  In the present invention, a mobile phone can be used as a remote controller for an in-vehicle device.

  The control device according to the present invention is characterized in that the signal is an infrared ray.

  In the present invention, an in-vehicle device can be operated from a mobile phone having a function of transmitting infrared rays.

  The present invention relates information relating to an in-vehicle device to a received signal, and when a signal associated with the information is received, outputs a control signal based on the information to the in-vehicle device. The information on the in-vehicle device is, for example, the operation content of the in-vehicle device, the set temperature of the air conditioner, the frequency of the radio, or the like. Accordingly, by associating a signal with information related to the in-vehicle device regardless of whether the signal is received from any device, the in-vehicle device can be operated wirelessly as long as the device can transmit the signal. For example, if it is a mobile phone capable of infrared communication, it is possible to operate the in-vehicle device, and even if the number of in-vehicle devices increases, it can be operated with the same mobile phone.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a control device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram when an on-vehicle device is operated by a mobile phone. The operation device (control device) according to the present embodiment is an interface for a user such as a driver to operate an air conditioner, a car navigation device, an audio device, and the like. That is, in this embodiment, a plurality of in-vehicle devices are operated by a user via a common operation device. The operating device includes a display panel 2 that displays an operation screen and a receiving unit (receiving unit) 3 that receives an infrared signal.

  The display panel 2 is provided at a position that is visible to the user on the dashboard 100 of the vehicle. The display panel 2 displays an operation screen corresponding to each vehicle-mounted device, and the user operates each vehicle-mounted device using an operation unit (not shown) according to the displayed operation screen. The operation unit may be a dial type or push type switch, or may be a touch panel provided integrally with the display panel 2. For example, when the operation unit is a touch panel, the user operates an air conditioner or an audio by pressing on the screen of the display panel 2.

  The receiving unit 3 is provided in the vicinity of the display panel 2 and receives an infrared signal transmitted from the mobile phone 10. The receiving unit 3 may be provided at a position away from the display panel 2 or may be provided integrally with the display panel 2.

  The mobile phone 10 can be set to the infrared communication mode, and includes a liquid crystal display and a numeric keypad. The infrared communication mode is a mode in which when the user operates the numeric keypad of the mobile phone 10, an infrared signal having a waveform based on the operated numeric keypad is transmitted. The operating device controls the in-vehicle device according to the infrared signal received from the receiving unit 3. That is, in this embodiment, since the user can use the mobile phone 10 as a remote controller of the operation device, the mobile phone 10 can operate a plurality of in-vehicle devices such as an air conditioner and an audio.

  Next, a setting method when using the mobile phone 10 as a remote controller will be described.

  2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an example of a setting screen when the mobile phone 10 is used as a remote controller of the operating device, where FIG. 2A shows before setting and FIG. 2B shows after setting. FIG. 2 illustrates a case where an operation for raising the temperature of the air conditioner (hereinafter referred to as an UP operation) is assigned to the “9” key of the mobile phone 10.

  When the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation device, for example, pressing a setting button, a screen shown in FIG. The screen shown in FIG. 2A displays a message indicating that the button for UP operation of the air conditioner and any numeric keypad of the mobile phone 10 are operated simultaneously. When the user operates the “9” key on the mobile phone 10 in the infrared communication mode, the screen shown in FIG. The screen shown in FIG. 2B displays a message indicating that the “9” key of the mobile phone 10 is associated with the UP operation of the air conditioner. After the screen shown in FIG. 2B is displayed, the user can perform the UP operation of the air conditioner by operating the “9” key of the mobile phone 10 during the infrared communication mode.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the mobile phone 10 is set as a remote controller for an air conditioner has been described. However, the mobile phone 10 operates a car navigation device, an audio device, and an electric sliding door or electric mirror of a vehicle. Can be set as a remote control. In addition, the operating device according to the present embodiment can also assign the setting value of each in-vehicle device to the numeric keypad of the mobile phone 10. For example, the controller device 1 can assign the current air conditioner temperature, radio frequency, or the like to any numeric keypad of the mobile phone 10. Thus, even when the vehicle-mounted device such as an air conditioner or a radio is once turned off, the controller device 1 receives the infrared signal of the assigned numeric keypad to activate the air conditioner and the radio before. It is possible to set the set temperature or frequency.

  Next, the electrical configuration of the operating device will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the operating device. The operation device 1 includes the above-described display panel 2, the receiving unit 3, the operation unit 4, a control unit (relevance provision unit, determination unit) 5, a storage unit (relevance provision unit) 6, and a communication unit (output unit). 7).

  As described above, the display panel 2 displays an operation screen, and the receiving unit 3 receives an infrared signal from the mobile phone 10. The operation unit 4 may be a dial-type or push-type switch, or may be a touch panel provided integrally with the display panel 2.

  The control unit 5 is a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The control unit 5 is configured to drive and control each unit based on each value given to the control unit 5 when the CPU executes a control program stored in the ROM. The operation performed by the control unit 5 will be described in detail later.

  The storage unit 6 is a non-volatile memory, and stores various necessary data tables and data acquired from the in-vehicle device connected to the controller device 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data table stored in the storage unit 6. The data table shown in FIG. 4 is a data table in which a predetermined operation is associated with the infrared signal received by the receiving unit 3, and is generated by the control unit 5.

  For example, as described above, when the “9” key of the mobile phone 10 is assigned to the UP operation of the air conditioner, the control unit 5 displays the waveform of the infrared signal transmitted by operating the “9” key on the mobile phone 10 as the UP signal. Store in association with the operation. Further, when the “2” key of the mobile phone 10 is assigned to the current set temperature of the air conditioner, the control unit 5 displays the waveform of the infrared signal transmitted by operating the “2” key on the mobile phone 10 as the current air conditioner. Is stored in association with the set temperature (21 degrees in the figure). When the control unit 5 receives the infrared signal from the reception unit 3, the control unit 5 analyzes the waveform of the infrared signal and searches whether the same waveform is stored in the data table of the storage unit 6. And when the same waveform is memorize | stored, the control part 5 outputs the control signal based on the operation content corresponding to the waveform to vehicle equipment. Each in-vehicle device operates according to the input control signal.

  The communication unit 7 communicates between modules such as an in-vehicle device mounted on a vehicle by a CAN (Controller Area Network) 15 or the like, for example, an audio ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 20, a navigation ECU 21, an air conditioner ECU 22, and a body ECU 23. . The audio ECU 20, the navigation ECU 21, and the air conditioner ECU 22 perform operation control of the audio device, the car navigation device, and the air conditioner. The body ECU 23 performs, for example, opening / closing of an electric mirror and an electric sliding door, locking and unlocking operations, and the like. The control unit 5 outputs a control signal for operating each in-vehicle device via the communication unit 7 and acquires necessary data from each in-vehicle device. Note that the communication method between the controller device 1 and each ECU can be changed as appropriate.

  Next, the operation of the operation device 1 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the controller device 1. The process shown in FIG. 5 is executed by the control unit 5.

  The controller 5 determines whether an infrared signal is received from the mobile phone 10 (S1). When the infrared signal is received (S1: YES), the control unit 5 analyzes the waveform of the received infrared signal (S2), and whether or not the same waveform is stored in the data table of the storage unit 6 (see FIG. 4). Is determined (S3). When the same waveform as the received infrared signal is not stored (S3: NO), the control unit 5 ends this process. At this time, the control unit 5 may display a message indicating that the operation is impossible on the display panel 2.

  When the same waveform as the received infrared signal is stored (S3: YES), the control unit 5 determines whether or not the operation associated with the received infrared signal is possible even during traveling (S4). . For example, since it is dangerous to perform an operation to open and close the electric sliding door while traveling, when such an operation while traveling is prohibited, the control unit 5 operates the in-vehicle device even if it receives an infrared signal. Absent. When the operation is possible even during traveling (S4: YES), the control unit 5 executes an operation associated with the received infrared signal (S7). For example, when performing an UP operation of the air conditioner, the control unit 5 outputs a control signal to the air conditioner ECU 22.

  When the operation at the time of traveling is not possible (S4: NO), the control unit 5 acquires the traveling state (S5) and determines whether or not the operation is performed from the traveling state (S6). For example, when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling from the acquired traveling state, the control unit 5 determines that the operation is not performed. The control unit 5 may acquire the running state from the on / off of the ignition switch, or may acquire it from the engine speed. When it determines with not performing operation (S6: NO), the control part 5 determines with driving | running | working and complete | finishes this process. At this time, the control unit 5 may display a message indicating that the operation is impossible on the display panel 2.

  When it determines with performing operation (S6: YES), it determines with the control part 5 not driving | running | working, and performs operation linked | related with the received infrared signal (S7). For example, when performing opening / closing control of the electric sliding door, the control unit 5 outputs a control signal to the body ECU 23. Then, the control part 5 complete | finishes this process.

  On the other hand, when the infrared signal is not received in S1 (S1: NO), the control unit 5 determines whether or not to start a setting process for using the mobile phone 10 as a remote controller by operating a setting button, for example. Is determined (S8). When the setting process is not started (S8: NO), the control unit 5 ends this process. When starting the setting process (S8: YES), the controller 5 displays the screen shown in FIG. 2A on the display panel 2 (S9). In addition, the control part 5 makes a user determine the operation content of the vehicle equipment linked | related with an infrared signal, before displaying the screen shown to Fig.2 (a).

  Next, the control unit 5 determines whether or not an infrared signal has been received (S10), and if not received (S10: NO), it waits for the reception of the infrared signal. When the infrared signal is received (S10: YES), the control unit 5 analyzes the waveform of the received infrared signal (S11), and associates the operation content of the in-vehicle device with the received infrared signal (S12). For example, when the “9” key of the mobile phone 10 is assigned to the UP operation of the air conditioner, the control unit 5 uses the waveform of the infrared signal transmitted from the mobile phone 10 when the “9” key is operated as the UP operation. The data are stored in the storage unit 6 in association with each other. As a result, when an infrared signal based on the “9” key is subsequently received from the mobile phone 10, the control unit 5 can execute the UP operation of the air conditioner. Then, the control part 5 complete | finishes this process.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the mobile phone 10 can be used as a remote control for operating the in-vehicle device. By using the mobile phone 10 as a remote controller, it is not necessary to prepare a remote controller for each in-vehicle device, and an increase in the number of remote controllers can be suppressed. Moreover, the safety | security during driving | running | working can be improved by restrict | limiting operation of vehicle equipment according to a driving | running | working state. Further, by associating the setting value of the in-vehicle device such as the set temperature of the air conditioner with the infrared signal, it is possible to save the user from making each setting each time each in-vehicle device is activated.

  In the present embodiment, the controller device 1 and the mobile phone 10 communicate with each other by infrared signals, but communication may be performed using other short-range wireless communication technologies. Further, the place where the operating device 1 is installed is not limited to the dashboard 100. For example, the receiving unit 3 may be provided near the rear seat so that the user of the rear seat can easily operate the operation device 1. Furthermore, although the mobile phone 10 is used as a remote controller for the operation device 1, other devices may be used as long as they have an infrared communication function.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been specifically described above, but each configuration, operation, and the like can be changed as appropriate, and are not limited to the above-described embodiment.

It is a schematic diagram at the time of operating a vehicle-mounted device with a mobile phone. It is a figure of an example of the setting screen at the time of using a mobile telephone as a remote control of an operating device, (a) shows before setting and (b) shows after setting. It is a block diagram which shows typically the structure of an operating device. It is a figure which shows an example of the data table memorize | stored in a memory | storage part. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of an operating device.

Explanation of symbols

1 Operation Device 2 Display Panel 3 Receiving Unit 10 Mobile Phone

Claims (5)

In a control device that controls in-vehicle equipment,
Receiving means for receiving a signal;
Relevance providing means for associating information on the in-vehicle device with the signal received by the receiving means;
A determination unit that determines whether or not a signal received by the reception unit matches a signal associated with the information by the association providing unit;
A control device comprising: an output unit that outputs a control signal based on information associated with the signal to the in-vehicle device when it is determined that the determination unit matches. The in-vehicle device is configured to operate based on a set value,
An acquisition means for acquiring the set value from the in-vehicle device;
The relevance providing means is:
Associating the setting value acquired by the acquisition means with the signal received by the reception means;
The determination means includes
Determining whether the signal received by the receiving means matches the signal associated with the set value by the relevance providing means;
The output means includes
The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the determination means determines that they match, a control signal including the set value is output to the in-vehicle device. The in-vehicle device is designed to be restricted in operation according to the running state,
Traveling state acquisition means for acquiring a traveling state;
The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a prohibiting unit that prohibits output of the control signal by the output unit based on the traveling state acquired by the traveling state acquiring unit. The receiving means includes
The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a signal transmitted from a mobile phone is received. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the signal is infrared rays.

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